NFP: What It Is and What It Isn’t

NFP (Natural Family Planning) is a wonderful tool spouses can use to monitor their fertility and plan their family. Through the use of NFP, the couple learns to appreciate the woman’s cycle and how God has carefully and beautifully laid the framework for new life.

NFP is not a guessing game. It’s based on science—very good science. The “Rhythm Method” of years past was more or less a guessing game. Thankfully, that’s not what we’re dealing with today. The outdated “Rhythm Method” was based on the presumption that “most” women have a 28-day cycle and ovulate on day 14. Not only is this unreliable for women who do not fall into that “most” category, but even a woman whose cycle typically does match that pattern will not always ovulate on the same day each cycle due to stress, sickness, or any number of factors.

NFP refers to the science-based methods that teach a woman to identify the fertile and infertile phases of her cycle based on the observance of certain signs in her body. NFP methods instruct the woman in recognizing these signs, such as the woman’s basal body temperature or the presence and quality of her cervical mucus, and interpreting their implications for her fertility. Because of its reliance on day-to-day signs, NFP takes the guesswork out of identifying the woman’s fertile and infertile days, even if the woman’s cycle fluctuates.

Mucus-based methods, such as the Creighton Model or the Family of the Americas Ovulation Method, are especially suited to women with irregular cycles, such as those who are postpartum or coming off of artificial contraceptives.

NFP is not “birth control”—it’s so much better! Artificial birth control is harmful to the woman’s body. NFP, on the other hand, only involves observing the natural signs that indicate the phases of the woman’s fertility, so it has zero side effects. Plus, it is immediately reversible. A couple can choose to delay pregnancy one month and seek to achieve pregnancy the very next month without needing to wait for the woman’s body to regulate—or heal—from the use of an artificial contraceptive.

NFP is not only healthy physically but also emotionally and spiritually as it fosters communication between spouses and an appreciation of God’s creation.

For a couple seeking to postpone pregnancy, NFP does involve some periodic abstinence, but much less than what one might think. With NFP, the couple can identify the window of time when conception is possible. Once the couple learns to identify this, they only need to abstain an average of eight days per cycle.

NFP is not just for couples who want to avoid pregnancy. NFP is just as beneficial for couples seeking to achieve pregnancy as it is for those seeking to postpone it. For a couple seeking to achieve pregnancy, identifying the window when conception can occur can make all the difference.

It can even be used to uncover underlying gynecologic issues, such as hormone imbalances, PMS, irregular cycles, painful periods, infertility, and more. Many unmarried women learn to chart their cycles with NFP simply for the ability to monitor their health.